Why Isn’t Your Senior Eating Well?
It can be a big shock to realize that your senior isn’t eating meals the way you thought she was. Whether she’s hardly eating at all or she’s literally not eating, it’s important to figure out what’s going on so that you can help her to meet her nutritional needs.
She Doesn’t Have Anyone to Eat With
One of the biggest reasons for seniors to eat poorly is that they’re lonely and they don’t enjoy eating alone. That might mean that when your senior does eat, she makes choices that aren’t the healthiest options. It might also mean that she’s avoiding eating a lot more than you realize, which can put her health at serious risk.
Eating Causes Her Pain
If eating food and digesting it is causing your senior pain, she may feel too uncomfortable when she eats to eat when she should. She may experience minor digestive issues or she may experience full-body pain and aches. It’s important to determine what’s going on once you realize that there is indeed a problem.
Eating Is Difficult for Her to Do
Mechanical issues with eating, such as having trouble chewing or swallowing, may also cause your elderly family member to avoid food. She may only be able to eat certain foods, which might mean that she’s not getting the nutrients that she needs. If she hasn’t been to her dentist in a while, that might be a good first step.
Cooking Is Unpleasant or Impossible
Some people have never enjoyed cooking. But as she ages, your senior may find that even if she loved cooking before, not it’s unpleasant or it’s physically difficult or impossible for her to cook. That’s something that can be difficult for her to resolve on her own, so she may rely on processed foods in order to eat something at all.
Her Appetite Is Gone
Certain health issues can cause your senior to lose her appetite. That might mean that she just never feels hungry and therefore when she does eat, she’s only eating bits and bites of food here and there. That can leave her with big gaps in her nutritional health.
If you’re noticing that your elderly family member doesn’t seem to be eating like she used to, you need to do some more investigating. As her caregiver, you can find solutions for all of these problems that help her to get the nutrients she needs.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Haverford, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care.
Call today: (484) 206-4544
- Elder Care Strategies for Assisting Seniors in Shingles Recovery - December 29, 2023
- Physical Therapy at Home: How Seniors Can Maximize Benefits - December 19, 2023
- Personal Care at Home: A Guide to Senior Skin Care - December 13, 2023